Specifications include, but are not limited to: A. Mowing tractors and riding mowers must be equipped with turf tires and deflectors on the discharge chute to help control placement of grass clippings. B. All mower blades shall be checked for straightness and sharpened before beginning to mow. Bent blades or unlevel mowing decks will not be accepted. The operator shall check after mowing starts and shall recheck after a few passes to be sure that an even and uniform cut is being produced. C. All mowers shall be checked for correct height and level adjustment before each cut. D. Extra blades should be easily accessible for quick change, if necessary. E. The Contractor shall use cones with signs, or pop-up signs when mowing. When mowing along sides of roadways, bikeways or walkways, Contractor shall use cones with signs and/or pop-up signs to warn motorists, pedestrians and other right-of-way users that mowing is occurring ahead. Warning cones/signs shall be placed at each end of any section of road, trail or walkway where mowing is occurring. Cones/signs shall be moved with the movement of mowing operations and should always be removed at the end of operations. F. Never mow up to or within 3 inches of any trees, shrubs, designed plantings, flower beds, or within 3” of a fence, sign, or light post. These areas shall be trimmed with a push mower, string trimmer or sprayed with an herbicide, if approved by the City. Contractor shall be liable for any damages incurred. G. Grass clippings shall NEVER be expelled on to the roadways, curbs, walks, fence lines, posts, signs, shrub plantings, trees, flower beds, light fixtures, or other permanent fixtures where clippings build-up or staining is possible. The Contractor will be responsible for all removal if it occurs. H. Contractor will trim outside all fence and tree lines without damaging either. Contractor has the option to use approved herbicides around fence posts and trees rather than trimming. If this option is used, these areas must be kept clean and resprayed on an as needed basis. (Herbicide type must be approved by the Director of Public Works.) NOTE: The Contractor shall take care when weed-eating not to damage fence posts. The contractor is responsible for the replacement of any post where damage results in more than ½ inch of wood being taken away on any side of the post. I. The areas around all signs and utility poles shall be trimmed or sprayed to have a finished job, during each mowing cycle. All curb, sidewalk, pavement, must be string trimmed each mowing cycle. Failure to trim areas as necessary after each mowing cycle may result in an overall 30% deduction from the applicable invoice where trimming was neglected.